Cobset



E`. SONNTAG.

4COR-SET.

ARRLJCATION FILED 1AN.11.1915.

Patented Ma`y13; 191,9.

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Emma: Son

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sTATns PATENT onnron.

Em SONNTAG, F BEDLAN'DS, CALIFORNIA.

CORSET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

,Application led January 11, 1915. Serial No. 1,696.

To all whom 15mg/concern."

Be it known that I, EMMA SONNTAG, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Redlands, in the county of San Bernardino andyState ofCalifornia, haveY invented a new and useful Corset, of which the follow.

ing is a specication. v

An object of' this invention is to provide a corset thatwill tit theform and support the bust and particularly the mammae more perfectly andwith lfner andl more graceful lines than heretofore; to give greaterease and comfort to the wearer; and to avoid ydanger of undesirablepressure upon the mammae which might hurt or harm the same. y i

llt has been customary .heretofore to terminate the upper end of thecorset at a point below the utmost swell of the-bust with thelconsequence that where such corfastening ribs of the corset inconnection esl with a flexible-side' stay for the purpose of sustainingand confining the bust sutliciently to prevent it from protruding overthe-upper ends of the corset ribs or stays.

The corset is also constructed to overhang inwardly,'being curved overand made to' conform to the upper side of the mammae so as to give anatural form to the figure of the wearer.

Other features of the invention reside in means for producing more`exibility to hout-laced corsets in combination with with means forconnecting and disconnect-V ing the edges, whereby greater ease o ffastening and unf'astening the corset 1s secured; andV likelihood ofprotruslons of flesh through the lacing are avoided, and appearance offlatness at the front of the abdomen is effected, thus giving betterlines tothe form.

In carrying out Vthis invention in preferred form for a front lacecorset, lacing strips' having means such as clasps, hooksr and eyes orthe like for detachable connection with each other, are provided betweenthe front edges of the corset body, and each of such strips is laced toan edge of such body thus to locate the clasp ribs or stays centrally ofthe front lace corset.

The invention may be carried out in va-A rious forms.

Other objects, advantages and features of novelty may appear from thesubjoined detail description.

The accompanying drawings illustrater corsets constructed in accordancewith this invention.

Figure 1 is a front view of a front lace corset constructed inaccordance with this invention and arranged on a form for clearillustration of novel features, one upper extension Hap of the corsetbeing laid open for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation yof the corset shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 43 is an enlarged fragmental Adetail of the corset shown in Fig. 1.f

Fig. 4 is a front view of a back-lace corset embodying features of theinvention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental sectional detal of a part of the corsetshown in Fig. 4. A

Referrlng first to the form shown in Figs.-v

1, 2" and 3,'the fastening or clasp ribs 1, 2 of the corset may beconstructed of steel or any -other suitable material and may be provided-with the usual form of fastening means or `clasps 3, 4., and are of theusual length; termlnating at a point not higher but generally somewhatlower than the utmost swell of the bust. These fastening ribs PatentedMay 1a, 1919.

may be fastened to the body members 5 of the corset by any suitablemeans such as the floating lacing strips 18 and laces 6 yin Fig. 1 ormay be directly incased in the material of said body portions asin Fig.4.

An upper extension of the corset is provided above the level of theupper ends of 4the fastening ribs and such extension may be in the formof swinging flaps 7 connected by upward side extensions 8 with the mainbody members 5. These aps may be variously formed and preferablyprovided with highly flexible stays: 9 extending up and down andconforming or conformable to the upper surface of thebosom. Preferablythe fastening ribs terminate. below the level of the mamma: and theirupper ends are overlapped by the mammae cover members. This constructionis such that .the mammae will not be engaged by the fastening ribs whenthe .person bends forward and yet the mammae will be perfectlysupported. Where a corset is designed .for a person having a full bustthe up and down stays are sufli- 'cient to hold the shape of the upperextension and to prevent the material from rumpling; but where the bustof the wearer is not full and it is desired to supply bust vmeans as bythe laces 12 or by the usual hooks, or buttons and eyes.

In the Figs. 1, 2 and 3 andalso in Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown a corsetcomprising a body as at 5 or 5 anda mammae coverkk a, said body havingstraight front edges b and having its upper edges c sloping outward fromthe front center above the mamma;

cover a to the middle under-arm d, and in each form means arev shown toconnect said straight front edges to eacl1 other,'they form shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3 differing from that shown in Figs.v 4 and 5 in that theedges b are not ldirectly connected with each other, but are connectedby" the loating lacing strips 18 and the lacings 6. Flexible side stays-e are provided, connected to the corset body and extending over thegroin f to the upper edge c of the corset body, the 'upper portion ofsaid stay e being curved'to conform to the mammae at 4ighe rearwardsides A o f the mammee cover a and in front ofthe under-arm portions d,-thu's constituting lateral supports for the mammae cover and mammae andavoiding obtrusion and protru sion cf the upper edge-of the corset, andpreventing. the maminae from fallingfor- The corsetbody in Fig. 1 isVformed straight edge front wings extending above the lacings 6 and thestraight side stays 6,. -that is to say, extending from in front of saidside stays to beneath the mammae, the upper portion of said body beingformed as flaps 7 extending centrally away from said stays and extendingabove and'y below the mammae and overlapping the wings, and

the means as the lacings 6 and ioatinglacing stays 18 which connect saidwings together serve to hold the mammae from lapping over and from beingpinched between relatively moving parts of the corset when the person ofthe wearer isbent forward or' sidewise or in any otherdirection.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a flexible-inner upward extension 13is provided by extending the material of the corset body wings upwardabove the level of the ribs, the flaps being adapted to lap over andcover the inner extensions and upper. portions of the bodies 5 when theflap edges are fastened together.

-In the forms shown in Figs. 4 and' 5 each of the extensions 14 is adirect upward extension of the corset body 5 with highly flexible stays15 above the upper end of the fastening-ribs asin the form shown inFigs. 1 and 2. The upward extension is provided with highly flexibleedge fastening stays 16 and the meeting edges of said extensions arejoined together by any suitable means as with the other form.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 each of the body members 5 has lacereceiving means in the form of eyelets 17 along one edge.

Two separate floating lacing strips 18 are provided, each having lacereceiving means,

Aas the eyelets 17, all alongpne edge; and

each having engaging means as the usual fastening ribs 1, 2, with clasps3, 4, along a part of the other edge. Said lacing strips 18 are flexiblefor a considerable distance below the steel fastening ribs 1, 2, and areprovided with fastening means as common hooks and eyes 19 or. laces, notshown, for connecting the lower parts of the two lacing strips together.

The lacing strips are'fastened to the lace receiving fastening edges ofthe corset body by the laces 6 and when the fastening ribs 1,

2, are fastened together on the person of the wearer by their fasteningmeans, the front of the corset will more perfectly conform to the personof the wearer andthe fastening ribs l, 2 can be brought to the frontcenter and in line with the depression between the breasts where thereis no`danger of these comparatively stiff stays or ribs 1, 2 strikingupon either breast as such fastening ribs wouldl be likely to do whenthe wearer is seated or bends forward if the ribs were not centrallylocated.

' That is to say, in case the clasp ribs of front lace corsets arelocated at the side of the front midline they are apt to strike themammae of the wearer having a full bust and this diiliculty is entirelyobviated by locating the 'fastening ribs centrally. Y

,The take-up space 20 between the fastening ribs 1, 2, of the straightlfront edges b of the corset body may be of any required widthsrespectively, to adjust the fastening ri'bs to central position fordifferent forms.

The short inner upward highly flexible extensions 21 and 22 are providedat the tops respectively of the. strips 18 and the upward extension 22of the fastening edges or front w1ngs b extend above the level of thefastening ribs thus to bend inward and conform to the bust when theouter upward extensions are fastened in place.

The flexible stays e, 9 and 10 are the usual highly iexible staysprovided in high priced corsets now on the market and the clasp stays orribs 1, 2 are preferably any good quality steel clas stays that aresomewhat more flexible at t e upper than at the lower ends.

.Where a very flexible front is desired, more flexible fastening ribsthan those made with the clasps may be employed, and hooks and eyessewed tothe rib incasing material of the corset may be used to fastenthe fastening edges together.

It is understood that various changes of construction may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention and that theinvention is pioneer in providing the inwardly or rearwardly overhangingupward front extension of either the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5 or theflap form shown in -fixed to the body of the corset and extend over thegroin upward .and at the rear of the maminae and are bent at their upperendsY so as to conform to the swell at the bust just at the rear of themammae. These side stays support the mammee covers and assist in givingform to the mammae covers and prevent them from exertin undue pressureupon the mammae and t ey are connected with the lacing stays 9 by crossstays 10.

In case iapsare employed these side stays support rear edges of thefiaps and the horizontal stays 10 bridge the space between the sidestays and the lacing stays. B this construction and arrangement it is mae possible to comfortably cover the mammae either with flaps that may beswung apart or with a cover as in Fig. 4 that is not separated from themain body of the corset.

l. A corset comprising a .body and a mammze cover, each having straightfront edges and the mammae cover having its upper the straight frontedges of the body to each other; means to connect the straight frontedges of the mammae cover members to each other; straight flexible sidestays extending from the groin to the upper edge of the corset, theupper portions thereof being at the rearward sides of the mammae coverand in front of the arms, thus constitutin lateral supports for themammae and avoi ing obtrusion and protrusion of the upper .edge of thecorset and reventing the mammae from falling forward).

2. A corset comprising a body and a mammae cover, each having straightfront edges; said mammae` cover having .its upper edges. slopingdownward from the front center above the mammee cover to under the arm;means to connect the straight front edges of the corset body to eachother; means to connect the strai ht front edges of the mammae covers toeac other; straight flexible side stays extending from the groin to theupper edge of the corset, the upper portions thereof being at therearward sides of the mammee covers and in 'front-of the arms, `thusconstituting lateral supports for the mammae and avoiding obtrusion andprotrusion of the upper edge of thecorset and preventing the mammae fromfalling forward; said corset body being formed with straightedged frontwings extending from or in front of said stays to beneath the mamm; theupper portion of said corset body being formed with flaps extendingcentrally away from said stays and extending above and below the mammae,and overlapping the wings and constituting the mamma: cover and themeans which connect said wings together.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 4th day of January 191.5.

EMMA SONNTAG.

In presence olfl JAMES R. TowNsEND, ESTELLA HILL.

